View from Lion’s Rock. Not actually the peak but we climbed as high as we could given the spooky darkness and weak legs.

To conclude the night of an exhausting hike

We slurped down some delicious mango shaved ice

then proceeded to wander the streets at night

and feast our eyes on more Christmas lights

Mango shaved ice @ Hui Lau Shan, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Basking in the Christmas cheer at the 1881 shopping arcade.

Day two, we spent a full day in town

Mostly climbing up and down stairs

And looking around

First stop, we combed the streets for some dim sum,

Hong Kong’s specialty, trust me

they’re second to none

After some truffle siew mai and a platter for two

we were ready to conquer the afternoon

Truffle Siew Mai @ Ding Dim 1968, Peel Street.

HKD85 for a platter for two!

Small but cosy and traditional interior.

Took some photos in front of murals,

street corners and interesting pillars

Then visited the boutiques at PMQ

Murals along Hollywood Road.

The Old Townhouses mural opposite Hollywood Road. It’s an insanely popular tourist and photo taking spot. Patience is needed to get a good spot and shot.

Nothing screams Hong Kong louder than a good ol’ground-up shot of the residential blocks.

Central is a labyrinth, easy to get lost in, difficult to leave. It meanders round corners, climbs and then steeply declines. Paths magically appear, diverge, and come to an abrupt dead end. Every corner, every street is scene from the canvas of Hong Kong’s urban life: The visually stimulating riot of colours on the walls along Hollywood Road; the aroma of braised duck rice and pork buns along Peel Street tantalising the olfactory; the heartbreaking sight of the wizened and silver-haired ambling amongst an unsympathetic crowd.

I’ve learnt that sometimes not having a plan is better than having one, because central is a place of the unplanned. Of surprises and spontaneous discoveries, where part of the fun is charting one’s way through the maze, going where one’s heart leads to.

The third day rolls around

and we were awaken by the sounds

of impatient honking, footsteps shuffling

and incessant but distant drilling of the ground

Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre was first on our list

we have gone there for neither Shakespeare nor Listz

But to frolick around in the building’s sharp corners

and be smothered all over by the morning breeze

Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre is a popular spot among photographers because of its distinct angles. The way its architecture filters light also creates an interesting effect that makes it well-loved by photography enthusiasts.

The pier just beside Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre.

The winds were cold and strong but made bearable by the warm sun.

A cup of hot chocolate later and we’re on our way

to see one of the city’s universities and what it has on display

Rising out of a landscape of red-bricked buildings, stands

a behemoth of a structure, a futuristic-looking titan

Striking and extraordinary in appearance in relation to the dull bricked buildings, is Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design.

The interior of the School of Design is another favourite spot for photographers due to the limitless possibilities that can be explored with the lines and angles.

Found an empty and quiet spot behind the building where it is stripped bare of its gloss and paint, leaving only naked concrete.

Next on our list is a place close to home

a couple of stops not far from Hung Hom

it is quite simply a tesselation of colours and blocks

Overseeing a couple of basketball courts

Choi Hung Estate. (Choi Hung is Mandarin for rainbow).

We had enough of tall buildings

neon lights and LCD screens

so we took off on a boat from star ferry pier

and found ourselves on Hong Kong’s outer tier

One of Hong Kong’s outer islands — Cheung Chau Island.

Having a trusty Hong Kong local bring us around 😀

Cheung Chau island is neither here nor there

It’s not as dense as what one would call a city

but it’s also not rurally bare

We had fresh mango mochis

Saw toys we had since fourth grade

took one too many photos at boat quay

and inquired about our soulmates

Fresh mango mochi. It’s easily found in one of those street shops. There are plenty of other flavours like peanut and sesame but mango is always best!

It’s us against the wind.

Trying to avoid temple aunty’s stare.

An alley shot for good measure.

The following day we made our way

after a morning of shopping, to Quarry Bay

Inside the courtyard, looking up and around

We couldn’t believe the density of this compound

Rigid and enduring, though visually alluring,

we reckon the space here must be unbearably inhibiting

The streets of Mong Kok.

At Argyle Street looking for some pet shops.

Mong Kok from the mid-levels. This here is Fat Yuen Market, selling anything from clothes and bags to electronic gadgets and soft toys.

When in Goldfish Street, expect to see FISHIES.

Quarry Bay. FYI Quarry Bay is the shooting location for music videos and movies like Ghost in the Shell.

My attempt at being gangsta 😛

Later that night back to central we went

for egg tarts and porridge

Some drinks over conversation

All before happy hour ends

A must-try in Hong Kong. It can be found along Hongwood Road, Central.

Had delicious porridge for dinner at a pretty decent price.

When at Central, definitely check out Lan Kwai Fong, a place strewn with bars and pubs.

Joyce and her Raspberyy Craft Beer!

Got up early the next day to cross the border

into Shenzhen, Hong Kong’s long lost brother

Things that day didn’t pan out well

all that we remembered was being pissed as hell

So we returned to Hong Kong

comforted ourselves with street food

then revisit Tsim Sha Tsui pier

to admire the moon

Waiting for the train to Shenzhen.

Street food to salvage a day of disappointment.

On the penultimate day, we were supposed to go

to Hong Kong Disneyland but we only got close

We thought we had a chance but stopped at the entrance

because there were just too many kids and their parents

So we quickly came up with an alternative plan

with some movie and shopping and a little romance

The final day rolled around

it was time to say goodbye

to this wonderful city

with a reluctant sigh

For our last meal in Hong Kong

we had pancakes and ham

then we walked all over Tsim Sha Tsui

for some fine instagrams

visited places we’ve missed on our itinerary

and revisited those that brought us more jolly

Macs for breakfast just for the juicer pork sausage because we don’t have pork sausages in Singaporean Macs ):